Originally developed by Russian army and called Koten by them, cauldron is a military tactics that tie the enemy down in fairly large but strategic place without exit routes. The fate of the trapped soldiers depend on the moves the surrounding forces make.
The Russians are famously known for executing cauldron warfare in World War Two and in their recent expedition in Syria. Ukraine theatre has quite a number of cauldrons. In addition to military side cauldron concept can be effectively implemented in business strategy. Here are highlights of cauldron concept:
1. Surround your opponent but do not begin hostility immediately except as retaliatory attacks that too with limited scope.
2. Restrict the enemy movements by constant surveillance but incite him to use his fire power indiscriminately with the aim of running down their ammunitions.”
3. Selectively attack weaponry stores, ammunition dumps and command and control systems. Mount cyber and system attacks in case opponent resorting to electronic communication and management
4. Go slow, terribly slow giving the impression that you are scared and follow the Chinese stratagem “lure the tiger out of its mountain lair” so that enemy shows up at a vulnerable position
5. Minimize civilian casualties but maximise collateral damage in the cauldron. By the same token, make a feast of getting enemy snipers killed at will.
6. Reduce mortality on your side but increase kill rate on the opposite side
7. “One donkey at a time” is the tested mantra in cauldron with a caveat: follow the Chinese stratagem “make sound in east but strike west”. Here the trapped soldiers move resources to repel an expected attack in the east while the west is laid bare or undefended in most places.
8. There are two aspects in warfighting: courage that is latent and morale that is hidden. You must go for demoralizing the opponent not to tease his courage
9. Move constantly in stealth, let enemy be stationary minding his rifles
10. Adopt terrain masking; Russians learned this from Vietcong guerrillas in Vietnam where hiding behind the terrain foot soldiers spring at unexpected place and at unexpected time. If air cover is needed low-flying planes or helis are used
11. Last, but not least, cut off the supply of food & water to the enemy quarters. Curtail replenishments arriving from elsewhere. In sum isolate opponent and let the feelings of helplessness pervade. In other words “wear them down”. This would enervate even the mightiest army.
Cheers!
Muthu Ashraff Rajulu
Business Strategist
Mobile: + 94 777 265677
E-mail: cosmicgems@gmail.com
Blog: Business Strategist
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